Philippines | Laguna | Villa Escudero | Dec 2011

Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort is a two hour drive south of Manila, right after San Pablo City in Laguna province. A self-contained working coconut plantation, it was founded in the 1880s by Don Placido Escudero and his wife Doña Claudia Marasigan. Originally plated to sugarcane, the crop was converted to coconut by their son Don Arsenio Escudero in the early 1900s.

The estate was opened to the public in 1981. It offers a beguiling glimpse of the Philippines' history, cuisine and natural beauty a mere 2 hours away from Manila.

The centerpiece of the resort is the AERA Memorial Museum which opened for public viewing in 1987. Housed in a replica of a long-gone church in Intramuros, Manila, it contains one of the largest collections in the country, unmatched in eclectic diversity. The core of the collection is its trove of colonial religious art. There are also extensive collections of Oriental ceramics, natural history and ethnographic dioramas, costumes, household furniture, weaponry and many other items of interest collected in their travels around the world. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside the museum.

A house located close to the museum, obviously with the same color-tone.

The Escudero's residence, which is off-limits to the public.

Arsenio and Rosario Escudero

Outside the museum, in an open field, is a display of several war machines

Stylized bus used for group tours

Modified Philippine jeepney

Enjoy a ride in a cart pulled by the carabao (the Philippines' national animal).

The Escuderos built the Philippines' first working hydroelectric plant in 1938 to supply to supply power to the dessicated coconut factory and Villa Escudero.

Buffet lunch at the Waterfalls Restaurant. The bamboo dining tables set in a few inches of crystalline running water from the man-made falls. The experience of dining on delicious local dishes with the sparkling waterfalls as a backdrop with clear spring water running over your feet is a truly singular and memorable experience only Villa Escudero can offer.

The reception/lobby of the hotel. The hotel structure is made of native materials (primarily bamboo).